Complaint procedure for ex-pupils?

Could someone advise me what action I might take against a past primary school teacher, if any, please? I believe I was mistreated to an extent approaching cruelty. I'm not looking for money. I just found out this person is still teaching and still employing their unique style of "educating" young children. She doesn't do it to every child though just the ones who are under-performing. Because I wasn't listening to some nonsense about Italy that most of my fellow ex-pupils can't even remember today then I deserved to get insulted, humiliated and degraded. I must add that I have a law degree so I wasn't a total animal at the time.

Some people might say to "man up", move on etc. Fair enough. But can someone explain to me why there is such a hoo-ha about online bullying in the media these days? I was mistreated so why is one wrong and the other me being a whiner? I honestly don't understand why the official line is that it's illegal but if you bring up your school days you're being silly.

I find it hilarious that a lot of schools these days have a website and an anti-bullying policy online. Face saving nonsense. We all know there are some tough schools out there. In my secondary school I'm sure some of the teachers were aware there was bullying going on in the Leaving Cert classes. However since we weren't kids anymore a blind eye was turned. All the right noises were made about it being wrong but nothing was ever done. Each teacher looked after number one which is understandable. They were probably on **** pay, with a tough job and having to deal with some particularly nasty pieces of work.

To conclude I must say there are many fine teachers. I don't bear a grudge against every one of them. Like any cross section of life there are the good and the bad. Why can't the bad ones be weeded out? I won't let this one go. Primary school kids are too vulnerable at that age. I'm fully aware that it would be easier to find the missing link but in all good conscience I gotta do something surely?

Powerhouse

It's hard to answer this in any meanigful way as it goes from an apparently specific grievance against a Primary school teacher (who sounds rather like my own one though perhaps not as violent) to a general rants against the proverbial "bad teachers".

On the specific issue you raise at the start have you considered legal advice? It might be more productive than a discussion board, if you genuinely want to address the issue.

On a more general aspect you really need to lose the attitude. For example, your comment "I find it hilarious that a lot of schools these days have a website and an anti-bullying policy online" is weird. If you find this hilarious you need to start developing a sense of humour.

An anti-bullying policy is desirable and necessary for a school because a certain percentage of students are bullies or have bullying tendencies, and they are quite litigious as well when challenged so policies need to be clearly defined. Just because you had a bad experience with a teacher does not mean that anti-bullying policies are either unnecessary or "hilarious".

I had a violent unpleasant Primary teacher and saw a lot of bullying in school in my time too - even if I didn't necessarily recognise it as such at the time - so I am delighted that schools take it quite seriously these days. It's probably the only thing I have seen students expelled from in my school - they can f*ck teachers out of it, disrupt classes, decide when they go to class or not etc. etc. and they are by and large untouchable.

If there are issues with teachers' behaviour there are professional standards governing that too.

TheDriver

you also need to give some more specifics e.g. when was this because corporal punishment was allowed many years ago. However I gather its more recent.

be careful: you can claim certain things about this teacher but make sure you don't have a nice file sitting in the store room that can be dug out because we all look back on school with rose tinted glasses. The other question is why you/parents etc didn't do anything about it at the time? Schools are answerable under the Ed Act 1998 to education partners e.g students/parents/community so I am unsure if you fall into any of these categories because you are gone. There are however bodies like the teaching council to look into these matters or the inspectorate. But before you go down any avenue, think about the consequences of this, surely its parents of existing students should be addressing this issue?

I concur with powerhouse about your over attitude before you go further. I sympathise but it sounds like you forgot about this and suddenly you are told about it 3rd hand. A law degree or any other qualification can be gotten by the biggest trouble makers in school so thats no defence and all teachers can be accused of giving students a hard time at some stage so it needs to be quantified completely.

evolving_doors

Teachers nowadays have to comply with teaching council codes of practice...have a look through them before you talk to anyone as it shows youre informed...

So basically... if you have evidence that you can corroborate with other past pupils or present parents then go for it and let us know how it went{.bearing in mind corporal punishment in schools was banned in 1982}

..otherwise, if you do nothing now then you are no better than the other teachers who you say turned a blind eye ...

Best of luck

StillWaters

Armelodie wrote: »

..otherwise, if you do nothing now then you are no better than the other teachers who you say turned a blind eye ...

Best of luck

That is absolutely not true, and a shocking assertion from a teacher. Teachers are professional adults, and if they witness a child being bullied and/or assaulted they have a duty, moral and legal to act. The victim of said bullying is traumatised, and this trauma may be carried into adult life. They do not have the same responsibility to act as the bully's professional peers.

Do you have the same attitude towards victims of the laundries, or industrial schools? That victims who stayed silent in adulthood are as complicit as the adults in positions of responsibility in those institutions?

Miss Lockhart

I would contact the department and the TC and seek legal advice.

If her conduct was merely unprofessional and unpleasant, but not illegal, I personally would seek to move forward and not allow it to affect my life. However given that she is apparently still teaching then I understand you want to prevent her impacting on other children in the same manner, and in that case I would also seek to inform the board of management of the school in which she currently teaches.

I myself was hit in school into the early 90s but I personally don't see that there is anything to gain from pursing the situation.

As other posters have noted, your general attitude detracts from your legitimate issue and will only serve to taint your interactions with educational bodies and individuals, and serve as an excuse to any who wish to dismiss your complaints.